School teachers have been told to copy the gestures of their pupils in a bid to get children to like them.

Teachers are having lessons in how to read children's body language and modify their own to tackle bad behaviour in the classroom.

Thousands have been trained to observe pupils' posture, gestures, mannerisms, facial expressions, speech and tone, in order to establish their emotional state and help build trust and rapport.

Staff are encouraged to copy a child's gestures, a technique called "matching or mirroring", to give them a subconscious message that the teacher is sympathetic towards them.

If a child is talking with their left hand touching their chin, the teacher should stand and hold their left hand to their chin, for instance. If the pupil tilts their head to the side, the teacher should mirror them.

Staff should also cross their legs if a student does and while talking, make the same hand gestures as the pupil used while they were speaking.

Teachers are also taught to avoid "closed" signals, such as folded arms or standing behind a desk.

The training is part of set of exercises called neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which is designed to improve communication and patterns of behaviour.

More than 1,200 teachers in England have received training in NLP through the Government's fast track teaching programme. Hundreds of schools and local authorities also pay thousands of pounds for training by private consultants.

Supporters of the techniques claim they can improve behaviour in the classroom and motivate children to learn.

Critics said, however, that NLP was a "bizarre mixture of pseudo science and new-age thinking" and yet another educational fad that diverted teachers' attention away from good teaching.

Frank Furedi, a sociology professor at Kent University and author of Wasted: Why Education Isn't Educating, said: "Every few years there's the big idea that becomes the dominant theme in education.

"We've had raising self-esteem, multiple intelligence, emotional literacy, wellbeing and happiness, and the latest is NLP.

"They are gimmicks and are then replaced with the next big thing. What NLP is saying is that teachers have to learn to take their cue from children, a complete reversal of the relationship where pupils take their cue from the teacher.

"In an ideal world, there's a bit of both, but methods like teachers reading body language are not only ineffectual in terms of educational outcomes, they also push teachers in a direction that is almost inappropriate."

NLP was developed in the 1970s at the University of California. Its methods have been employed in a variety of professions, including sales, marketing, management, counselling and hypnotism.

In the UK, at least 50 companies and organisation now offer courses in NLP, many aimed at teachers. Courses which certify the participant as an "NLP practitioner" can cost as much as £5,000.

Despite its increasing use in mainstream education, its methods are controversial. Dr Gareth Roderique-Davies of Glamorgan University described NLP as "cargo-cult psychology".

"NLP masquerades as a legitimate form of psychotherapy, makes unsubstantiated claims about how humans think and behave, purports to encourage research in a vain attempt to gain credibility, yet fails to provide evidence that it actually works," he said.

Phil Beadle, a former Teacher of the Year and author of Could do Better, also cast doubt on the programme.

"NLP is being given increasing credence in our schools," he said. "But it doesn't stand up to analysis.

"Playing a one-sided game during a two-way conversation is hardly a sound basis for trust. Also, isn't mirroring someone's body language supposed to be a sign that you fancy them? It seems an ill-advised classroom strategy."

But Dave Vizard, an NLP trainer and author of Meeting the Needs of Disaffected Students, said schools had to find new solutions to poor behaviour in the classroom.

"Times have changed dramatically," he said. "The social context, family structures, the multimedia that children are brought up with have led to a situation where authority figures seem to have been disempowered.

"Matching body language and tonality means looking at the world through the young persons eyes. The back drop is consistency and firm boundaries, which is the core of all managing of behaviour."

At Harris Academy, in Peckham, nearly 30 teachers have received NLP training.

"For instance, if you have an upset, emotional pupil in front of you, the aim is to calm them down. I would use an interruption strategy.

"Get them to look up, so they engage their visual cortex and get them to breath and move forward. This helps to divert them from the emotional state they are in and become more rational."

Mr Lau said the language used by teachers was also a critical part of NLP.

"Teachers get irate and frustrated with students but instead of having a go, NLP shows there is a way of communication that can imply to pupils how they should behave, impacting on their subconscious, without making a bald statement.

"Affirmation is also important."

Instead of ordering a child to sit down, for instance, a teacher could say 'When you're sitting down and working, we can discuss it further, that would be good wouldn't it?'

"It has not only helped to improve behaviour but it has had a general impact on the learning side," Mr Lau added.